The Forgotten Valley Part 1 transcript
The Forgotten Valley Part I Transcript Forgotten Path Grim: There are several accounts of it, actually. Mage: Capturing demons in trees? G: According to some legends, the witches of Jodamir captured dozens of demons in the forest. And in the night, you can hear them howling. Ava: Boo! M: Nameless! G: Good gods, I believe I've soiled my pages. G: Strange, to see a Goblin Skeleton here. M: They seem pretty common at this point. G: Traditionally they are empowered by demonic presences, actually. I suspect they may be a sign that Torbane has passed this way. A: I wouldn't mind having another crack at him. Maybe we should take a look? Erroneous Exit M: This looks different. G: Charming, and probably packed to the brim with things that want to bite us. A: I hear grassy hills are full of book-eating monsters. G: You may like to joke about monsters eating books, but I've got an entire passage on man-eating creatures. M: Like this one? Verdant Valley A: Ah! M: What is it? A: There was something – the water, it felt like it was, I don't know, leeching into me. It made my skin hum. G: Sounds terribly dangerous. Maybe you ought to turn back. We would hate so very much to lose you. A: Some of these carvings, on the stones. I think I recognize them, but I can't remember where from. G: Strange, I noticed them too. Runes of some sort, but not like anything I've seen in the last century. Bountiful Bog G: It would be refreshing to travel somewhere where the locals didn't want to kill us. A: Wait, that rune. That's a ward, isn't it? I've seen it before, warding off ghosts. G: Sigh. If there's one thing I hate, it's a know-it-all witch. A: What, I'm not wrong, am I? G: A ward, indeed, but a ward against demons. Cast. Generally, to designate that an area has been cleared of demon activity. M: So why would the Cult be traveling in an area like this? A: Maybe they're vacationing. It's beautiful here, after all. Even with that weird, dark water. Kraken Corner G: I don't believe this location is on the maps. M: What do you mean? G: Every map I have, it seems to denote this area as being inside the Rawken Pass. There's no space to show the inlet we came in through. A: So maybe the entrance was blocked before. Maybe we're exploring it for the first time! Maybe there's treasure. G: Don't look so jolly: secret locations tend to hold secret monsters. A: Book-eating monsters. G: Like I said: secret monsters. M: What was that thing? G: If you had any knowledge of history – ancient history – you would recognize that as a Kraken. A: Yuck. I knew there was something weird about the water here. M: So you're telling me that we just fought something that hasn't been seen in centuries. A: How old is this place? Lush Waterway G: It's possible that this Valley was sealed by the last Spellstorm. A: Yeah, yeah, we've all heard those stories. Secret locations full of treasure and forgotten monsters. Ho-hum. Terrifying. Eron's Entrance Knight: By sword, shield, and crown, I command thee to halt! What blasphemy intendst thou, dragging this demon past mine home? G: Oh good, we found crazy people again. M: What demon? K: There, that stands beside thee. A: Me? K: Filthy demon! I send thee to the Abyss! K: Wait, stop! What horror are you, that bests a Paladin? But I – where am I? G: His armor is ancient. See, the markings? Must be ages old. M: And he talks in the old fashion, like the ancient mages. A: I don't care, I've got a bone to pick with anyone calling me a demon. I hail from the greatest orders of mageknights in the Citadel and - K: Demon, thou darest speak to a God Paladin such! A: He's stopping us again! What is his problem? I'm a Mage, you dolt! K: What Mage, that wears the blood of a Demon? M: Stop! Stop attacking! We only want to talk. G: He seems confused, Mage. K: Thou wouldst speak to me as a mage? Then prove thyself as a mage. K: My powers, withered. Bested by a simple mage, and with a demon, no less! A: Seriously, I am this close to just stabbing him - M: Don't. Sir, please, tell us your name. Eron: I am Eron, of the God Paladins. I seek the demons of the world, to destroy and cleanse. M: Enough destroying, I think, for today. Come with us, away from this pool, and see if we can't find some way to help you. Mellow Meadow M: He seems to be doing better, now. G: I suspect there was something about that place that had... ensnared him. M: Tell us, Eron, why did you think Ava was a demon? E: I understand naught – why speakst thou so? A: You'll get the hang of it. It's "you" now. And some other things have changed. E: You. You are a demon. A: Oh, blast it all. I'm going to scout ahead. M: Ava is not a demon, Eron. E: I have no desire to fight, any longer. I am so tired. Where are we? M: I'd hoped you might tell us. How long – who was the leader of the Mage Council when you entered this Valley? E: Mage Council? I know of no such thing. G: That means, before the Third Dawn. Unless his mind is just completely lost. Ancient Archway M: How do you feel? E: Strange. I remember, I came to drink by the pond, gazed into its depths, and there spoke a voice in my head and then... the demon arrived. M: Eron... E: Fine. Then "the woman" arrived. A: I've checked ahead. It's like this, for miles and miles. Tell us, you ancient grump, what is this place? E: Grump? I know this word not. A: Really? Really. OK. Tell us, Paladin of the Gods, what is this place? E: God Paladin. And do not try to bewitch me with thy face, demon. I know thy beauty is but a trick. G: Sigh. This is going to get old. E: These creatures, I recall. They swim past the depths and ensnare those that pass. I watched a thousand men wander the valley and fall prey. M: Why didn't you help? E: I was cast with... a profound apathy, I am ashamed to say. Thou – you have stirred me from this, but how? M: It must have been whatever you sensed in Ava. Magical Mud E: Thy party – or, you party, what is its aim? A: It's your party. Not "you" party. M: It might interest you, actually. You sought demons? What do you know of the Demon Princes? E: Speakst thee of Torbane, Ulfrane, and Virbane? A more wretched group of demons there never was! G: I suppose you're old enough to know. M: There is a Cult that seeks to awaken them. To find the Dawnbreaker, it seems, and bring the Forth Dawn. E: The Forth Dawn? By the gods, was there a Third? G: It would appear our new manner of speaking isn't the only thing you missed while gazing into that pond. E: I have lost much, in the time that has passed. But I have not lost my purpose. I accept your request, and will take your mission as my own. M: Request? I hadn't - E: You need not request, Mage, when it is demons that you seek. But first, I would ask a boon of you. I was here for a reason, back then. E: Something insidious trapped me in this valley, something I must eradicate before I can move on. Help me, and I shall be your steadfast ally. Legendary Land M: Grim, you've been strangely quiet. G: I've been waiting until he wasn't just beside us. M: And? G: I've heard of the God Paladins. They were an order of immortal knights hand chosen by the gods to enact their vengeance against demons. M: So the question is: legend, or mad man? G: My question is, if he's a God Paladin, what was strong enough to keep him here all these years? Mysterious Moor A: So, I guess you could kill a lot of people and no one would care as long as you called them demons. E: Have you ever seen a demon, Ava? A: I've seen things. I've seen someone possessed by a Demon Prince. E: If such creatures were allowed to live unchecked, Lythia would be a storm wasteland by now. M: Do you have any idea what could have kept you here, Eron? E: Something capable of bewitching the water, of freezing me for centuries... I sought him, once, the Demon Eye. M: Demon Eye? E: Balon, demon-corrupted. The stories said he could kill with a glance, and could use reflective surfaces to further the effect of his gaze. G: Fantastic. I suppose asking for it to be a simple time-sorcerer would be too much. M: Okay, so we find this Demon Eye, destroy him, and then we find a way out of the Valley. Sounds simple enough. E: It might have been, before I lost my strength, and my sword, and shield. They were carried off by Balon's demon pets. M: Demon pets? E: His foot soldiers. Cynomancers – wolf sorcerers. If we could find them, and my weapons, we might strand a better chance. Tallest Thicket A: Stop. Before we proceed, I need you to tell me. Why do you think I'm a demon? E: All Paladins were given the power to sense demons. I can see them, smell them, taste their blood in the air. A: But I'm human. I grew up in the Shanty, studied at the Citadel. I was ordained a Lightbringer. E: I cannot tell you the truth of your history, only what I see in you. If you do not believe me, then join me. The Cynomancers will show you. A: How? E: They will not detect a demon. Walk before them, and see if they attack. Then you will have your answer. G: So what do you think happens, if we find out she is a demon? Does he go back to all that brimstone talk? M: I don't know, but I've got my creatures ready to attack if he makes another move on her. Meandering Marsh M: Can you think of anything that would explain this... demon-ness? A: No. M: Perhaps something you're wearing? Something enchanted? Or maybe an ancestor that could have passed on the blood? A: Stormsblood! You too? I'd expect it of a stranger, or of that blasted book, but you, too? M: I'm sorry. A: I'm a human. I know I am. I'm a human. E: I sense I have... upset you, demon. A: Really? That's perceptive. G: Really, it's no use trying to reason with her. Even if she's not a demon, she's almost certainly a- A: If you say witch, so help me Nameless I'll- G: Witch. M: Everyone stop! We're all on the same side here, aren't we? No one here is a demon. Or a witch. Now let's just be quiet and keep moving. Faraway Fell M: Do you think the cultists have passed this way? G: I don't know, they don't seem the type for a sojourn in the hills. If they're here, they're looking for something. Alexi: We'll never find it, Eustace. Never! Elexi: This marks the eighth time – eighth! - that I've told you to be quiet. You've got no idea what's creeping about here. Alexi: But look how beautiful it is, Eustace. Can't we just stop for a moment, have a bite to eat? Eustace: It's designed that way. To ensnare fools like you. Don't look at the water, and keep your eyes open. That crown must be around somewhere. G: So the Cult is here, and they're looking for something. M: We better get there first. Full Forest M: Those cultists referred to a crown. Eron, do you know anything about it? E: In my time, there were rumors of this Valley. That it held many things forgotten by man. M: And this crown could be one of them. E: Not any crown: the Celestial Crown... or the Fanged Crown, depending on who seeks it. It was a great source of discord for the Paladins. G: The Crown of the Gods, I've heard of it. They said it was worn by the Celestial god during the creation of Lythia. E: And used by the Fanged god to corrupt the peaceful Lythia that the others created. M: What does this crown do, exactly? E: He that- G: Or she. E: - That wears the crown can incite and survive a Spellstorm. Or, if a Spellstorm occurs, E: the Crown grants control and safety. But only one deemed "worthy" can wear it. G: The Dawnbreaker, as they say. Den of Lost Souls G: I believe I heard stories of these Paladins. That they were undone from within, some sort of disagreement. M: You'd think they would be able to get over simple differences. G: That's the thing about immortality: it gives you plenty of time to get tired of each other. G: And you? Are you immortal? G: Ah, nice try. Everyone knows the mystery is part of my charm. A: So why didn't you ever get this crown, Eron? Use it for yourself? E: There was, in fact, a time when the Paladins sought the Crown, that we might do away with the cycle of Storm and Dawn. A: And? E: We failed, at great cost. We were not worthy of the Crown. Old Clearing M: Have you ever actually seen these Cynomancers? What are they? E: It is said a tribe of men attempted to capture Balon with pet wolves. He punished them by enlisting them into immortal servitude. M: Slaves? E: Worse: he cast a curse upon them: he decapitated their wolves and replaced the men's heads with those of their former pets. G: That wouldn't be the howling I've heard, would it? E: "So that only the moon hears their howls of pain," it is said. E: Vile pests! M: What was that? E: Protectors of the Valley. This place, I believe it feeds from the forgotten – though by Balon's spell or some natural wickedness, I know not. G: A simple enchantment, to set up a Gargoyle defense system. Although, their use was banned centuries ago. River's Edge A: Are you certain we're going the right way? E: I can sense that we are nearing creatures of the Abyss. Onward, little hellion. A: So, what, we're supposed to believe you actually met the gods or something? E: There was a time when we stood before them, yes, and at this time we were given our pact. A: Right, and apparently I'm the crazy one here. A: Hey! Careful! M: What? A: You walked right into me. M: I had... quite forgotten we were here. M: But you've been leading us along! You've taken out four Kraken in the last few minutes! G: Interesting. It appears the spells target humans, and draws them toward something in the valley - like an insect toward a Venus Fly Trap. Sidestream A: There must be another explanation. I'm a human too, and I'm not getting woozy, or mindlessly walking in one direction. G: This, predicated on the assumption you're human. Checked for any horns lately? I hear they can sneak up on you. A: How would you like to get all your pages torn out, book? M: In all honesty, Ava, I think you need to prepare yourself for the chance that this could be true. A: ...I know. M: Even if it's true, it doesn't make you not you. There could be a dozen explanations. A: I know. If it turns out to be true, just give me a head start. I'll get to the border, be gone before you have to report to the Council. Grassy Creek E: More Gargoyles. The Cynomancers must have enlisted them to protect their lair. E: You need not be afraid, little demon. A: Who said I was afraid? I'm fine. E: I fear you misunderstand me. You take me for a cruel man. In fact, I am spellbound to this mission. I have no choice. A: If I had a copper piece for every time I heard a man explain bad behavior with the term "spellbound," I'd own the Citadel. E: I would ask a moment of patience, dear demon. A: I really, truly, do not want to talk to you right now. E: I admit to initial aggression, yes, but it is not my desire to hurt you. There are dozens of accounts of benevolent demons. A: Isn't it enough that I was just trying to do something good, and you A: appeared out of nowhere to completely ruin my life? Or do you want me to thank you too? G: Well, Eron, meet Ava's short fuse. Ava's short fuse, meet Eron. Riverbed Mudpath M: Shh, I hear voices ahead! Cultist 1: But did you see them? Wolf heads sewn on! You can see the twine. Cultist 2: I don't care what Torbane is offering for the Crown, there's no way I'm going in there to get it. E: These men are not the most intelligent I have come across. The Crown would never be left at the Cynomancers' disposal. G: It does seem that the Cult seeks the dumbest of the dolts for its ranks. E: Ahead, see how he stands? I believe the Valley inhabits this one. E: The very material of this Valley is evil. G: I don't suppose your sword can cut us a path out of here, though. Might make more sense as to why we so desperately need to track it down. E: I can find our way out, but first, we must remove Balon and his influence. Underknown M: This must be the Cynomancers' lair. G: Certainly don't have an eye for aesthetics. A: You deal with this, I'm going to go ahead and scout. M: Wait – if you see a Cynomancer, don't you want someone with you? A: I'd rather not, actually. This is something I want to do alone. E: Oh, there is something – I sense Ava returns. A: I thank you, mage, for the time we have spent together. I wish you well on your travels but I must take my leave. M: Wait! Stop! E: You cannot leave, demon. A: I don't think it's up to you, you thundering stormblight! E: You have walked before the Cynomancers, and you have seen the truth of your blood. I cannot allow you to leave. A: Agh! What've you done to me? E: A simple binding spell. You cannot go where I do not go. I am sorry, my little hellion, but I am spellbound to never release a demon. M: Come on, everyone. We've got to get to those weapons and get out of here before more come! Under the Sea E: Ava, I beg of you, don't fret. It is for your own safety that I must do this. I cannot permit a demon-blooded to roam free. A: Curses! Lift this bloody entrapment or I'll kill you the first chance I get. M: Eron, I don't think you understand. Entrapment spells are strictly forbidden now. You cant just bind someone like this. E: You have my grandest apologies, but I hope I have your understanding. I am spellbound to cleanse all demons. It is either this, or death. G: According to the legends, Paladins made a pact with the gods: immortality, for eternal service. M: And that pact made him bind Ava? G: He is god-sworn to cleanse Lythis of demons, so if he could somehow bind her until he finds a cure, he fulfills his pact. M: But what happens if it's impossible? G: Well. Yes, there's that A: Blasted old knight, centuries old and doesn't know how to behave himself like a decent human being, I'll tear his throat out... M: It'll be ok. I'm sure the Council has some way to cure your, um, ailment. A: Ailment? I've got thundering demon blood! And now I can't even take five steps without getting jerked back to that cloaked oaf. M: Let's just focus on getting through this: then we'll figure out what to do about him. Cynomancer's Lair E: Quiet, friends. We approach the Cynomancers. M: They won't attack Ava, right? I say, if we've got a demon, let's use her. E: What do you intend? M: Ava, when we get there, you distract them while I strike. Eron, you retrieve the sword. A: Keep up, will you? G: Wow. Beauty is certainly not one of their features. A: Hey! Hey you! Over here, yeah! Come here, doggy! What a little treat? I hope you like steel with a side of sharp! E: My sword. It's tarnished, but it's still here. G: Ava, it seems that demon blood may be good for something. A: Oh lovely, now I'm "good for something." My life is validated. M: Let's get going. We still need to find Balon before we can get out of this Valley. Category:Transcripts Category:Events